We provide refunds if…
You are unable to travel due to any of the listed reasons and have provided the required evidence shown in the individual reasons section below, always subject to our General Refund Conditions.
1. Public Transport Failure
2. Flight disruption
3. Mechanical Breakdown
4. Adverse Weather
5. Home Emergency
6. Theft of Documents
7. Relocated for Work
8. Armed Forces & Emergency Services Recall
9. Jury Service
10. Court Summons
11. Changes to Examination Dates
12. Emergency Circumstances
We also provide refunds for the following in the event an insurance claim is denied:
You are unable to travel due to any of the listed reasons and have provided the required evidence shown in the individual reasons section below, always subject to our General Refund Conditions.
13. Illness / Injury
14. Pre-existing Medical Conditions
15. Pregnancy Complication
16. Death of Immediate Family
It is important to understand that our deposit protection does not substitute for travel insurance. Rhino Africa strongly recommends obtaining comprehensive travel insurance for your upcoming trip to ensure adequate coverage and peace of mind.
You must read the General Refund Conditions, and the individual reasons section below, for complete information on what we will and will not be refunded.
General Refund Conditions
1. Refund Policy:
Refunds will not be granted for any reason associated with a communicable disease, including but not limited to Covid-19 pandemics or epidemics.
Requests for refunds must not have been planned or reasonably foreseeable at the time of booking.
Refunds will not be issued if the booking is no longer desired or required.
We do not provide refunds if your booking is cancelled or rescheduled by a third-party supplier. For any changes to your booking, please contact your African Safari Expert
2. Arrival Arrangements:
It is your responsibility to ensure timely arrival for the commencement of your booked holiday. This includes arranging any necessary permits, travel documents, or visas.
3. Precautions and Evidence:
You are required to take all reasonable precautions or make suitable alternate arrangements to prevent or mitigate the need for a refund request.
Supporting evidence for refund requests must be provided at your own expense. Failure to provide sufficient evidence will result in the denial of the refund request.
4. Maximum Refund Value:
The maximum refund amount per person will not exceed the total value of their portion of the booking or ZAR 200,000 (or equivalent in an alternative currency).
How to Request a Refund
Your refund application and payment will be handled by our Client Experience Team. To apply for a refund, you must complete our Refund Application Form as soon as you know you cannot travel and up to 30 days after your booked holiday with us. Please use the following link for your application.
Requesting a Refund for the following reasons:
1. Public Transport Failure
Means unexpected disruption or failure of the public transport network which you could not have reasonably been aware of before the date of travelling.
What we do not refund
Financial Failure of Transport Provider: We do not provide refunds in the event of financial failure by any transport provider.
Evidence Required: A copy of the notice of failure or disruption of public transport, which can typically be obtained from the transport company's website. Please note that this policy applies specifically to instances of public transport failure, where there is an unexpected disruption or failure of the public transport network that could not have reasonably been foreseen before the date of travelling.
2. Flight disruption
Means cancellation or significant delay of flight(s), which you were unaware of before the date of travelling, that prevents you from travelling.
What we do not refund:
Compensation from Airlines or 3rd Paying Party:
We do not provide refunds if a flight in your booking is cancelled or postponed, and you have a right to compensation from the airline or another paying party.
Awareness of Disruption: Refunds will not be issued if you were aware of the disruption prior to the date of travelling and did not make reasonable, suitable alternative travel arrangements.
Financial Failure of Transport Provider: We do not offer refunds in the event of financial failure by any transport provider.
Altered Purpose or Reason for Booking: Refunds are not granted if the purpose or reason for which you booked your flight, in order to attend an event for example, has been altered or cancelled.
Evidence required: A copy of your airline ticket and notice of cancellation from the airline.
3. Mechanical breakdown
Means, in the 24 hours prior to travelling, a mechanical breakdown, accident, fire or theft of a vehicle taking you to the airport and / or your travel destination(s).
What we do not refund:
Insufficient Travel Time: Refunds will not be provided if you did not allocate sufficient time to travel to your destination(s).
Lack of Alternative Arrangements: We do not offer refunds if you failed to make reasonable alternative arrangements to travel to your destination(s).
Competitive or Racing Vehicles: Refunds are not granted for bookings involving competitive or racing vehicles.
Evidence required:
Breakdown: A copy of the call-out note from your breakdown recovery service.
Incident: An incident number or report from the police or relevant traffic authority.
4. Adverse weather
Means weather where a government agency has issued warnings not to travel which entirely prevents you from travelling.
What we do not refund:
Adverse Weather without Government Agency Warnings:
Refunds will not be issued for adverse weather conditions if there are no warnings from government agencies advising against travel.
Evidence required:
Government Travel Warning: A copy of the travel warning from the government agency.
Route Closure Confirmation: Confirmation of relevant route closures.
5. Home emergency
Means a burglary, fire, malicious damage or flood at your private residence up to 48 hours immediately before travelling, of which you were unaware of the time of making the booking.
What we do not refund:
Home Emergencies without Proper Evidence: Refunds will not be granted for any home emergency unless proper evidence is provided as outlined below.
Evidence required:
Burglary, Flood, Malicious Damage: A police reference number or evidence from the submission of a claim to your home insurance company.
Fire: A report from the fire service and/or police.
6. Theft of documents
Means the theft of a document necessary for travelling, which cannot be replaced in time for your departure.
What we do not refund:
Loss of Replaceable Documents: Refunds will not be issued for situations where documents can be replaced in advance of your departure or on the day of travel.
Loss of Documents: We do not provide refunds for the loss of documents.
Evidence required:
Theft: A police report or crime number to confirm the theft.
7. Relocated for work
Means a requirement to move address imposed on you by your employer, unknown to you at the date of booking. The move may be temporary or permanent and must be more than 100 miles/ 160 kilometers from your home address at the date of travelling.
Note: Self-employed individuals are not covered by this policy
What we do not refund:
Business Meetings and Travel: Refunds will not be granted for expenses related to attendance at business meetings or business travel.
Temporary Relocation for Work: Any temporary relocation for work must be for a period of at least three (3) months to be eligible for a refund.
Voluntary Relocation or Change of Employer: Refunds are not provided for voluntary relocations or instances where you are changing employers.
Evidence required:
Relocation Details: A letter from your current employer confirming the relocation details.
8. Armed forces and emergency service recall
Means you as a member of the armed forces, reserve armed forces or emergency services are recalled to work on the date(s) of your travels or are posted overseas and cannot travel at all.
What we do not refund:
Pre-Scheduled Work Commitments: Refunds will not be issued if you were aware of or had scheduled work on the date(s) of your travels prior to making the booking.
Unsuccessful Annual Leave Requests: We do not provide refunds if you made an unsuccessful request for annual leave for the date(s) of your travels.
Actual or Perceived Risk Factors: Refunds will not be granted for circumstances involving actual or perceived war, hostilities, civil commotion, imprisonment, repatriation, deportation, poisonous biological materials, radioactivity, cyber incident or cyber act, and state property seizure.
Non-Compliance with Laws: Failure to comply with any law will result in the denial of a refund.
Bookings from Restricted Countries: We do not refund bookings originating from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria.
Sanctioned or Restricted Travel: Refunds are not provided if you are exposed to any sanction, prohibition, or restriction under United Nations resolutions or the trade or economic sanctions, laws, or regulations of the European Union, United Kingdom, or United States of America.
Evidence required:
Confirmation of Work Commitments: A note from your commanding officer or line manager to confirm being called into work or duty and that this was not your original schedule.
9. Jury service
Means a summons for you to attend jury service over the date(s) of your travels of which you were unaware at the time of making the booking.
What we do not refund:
Jury Service: Refunds will not be issued for any jury service unless proper evidence is provided as outlined below.
Evidence required:
Jury Service Letter: A copy of the letter requiring jury service.
10. Court summons
Means you are summoned to appear as a witness in court proceedings on the day(s) of your travels of which you were unaware of the time of making the booking.
What we do not refund:
Court Summons for Criminal Proceedings: Refunds will not be granted for any court summons in which you are a named defendant in criminal proceedings or where you are the subject of criminal proceedings.
Evidence required:
Court Summons: A copy of the Court Summons.
11. Changes to examination dates
Means the unforeseen change of the date of an examination for a course on which you are registered to during the day(s) of your travels.
What we do not refund:
Examination Re-sits: Refunds will not be provided if you had to re-sit an examination that you previously failed.
Evidence required:
Confirmation of Examination Date Change: A copy of a notice from the examination body, school, college, or university confirming the change of date for the examination re-sit.
12. Emergency circumstance
Means an unforeseen circumstance completely outside your control and of no fault of yours. The decision to refund is entirely at the discretion of our Client Experience Team. We will consider these circumstances and have no obligation whatsoever to provide a refund.
What we do not refund:
Discretionary Refusal: Refunds will not be issued for anything that our Client Experience Team considers is not intended to be included in this list of valid reasons for a refund.
Preventable Emergency Circumstances: Refunds will not be granted for any emergency circumstance that could have been prevented.
Third-Party Emergencies: No emergency reasons will be considered for third parties not directly involved in the booking.
Evidence required:
Verification of Emergency Circumstances: Any evidence requested by our Client Experience Team to verify the emergency circumstances.
Requesting a refund for the following reasons:
Please note that the following reasons are covered by your comprehensive travel insurance, and a claim must be submitted through your travel insurance. If your travel insurance denies the claim, we will require the claim denial documentation, and a claim can then be submitted through our deposit protection program.
13. Illness / Injury
Means an illness or accidental injury to you, that prevents you from making the booking on the travel date
What we do not refund:
Lack of Evidence of Illness or Injury: Refunds will not be granted if you cannot provide evidence of illness or accidental injury to you or a person in the group due to travel.
Absence of Physical Examination by a Doctor: Refunds will not be issued if you have not been physically examined by a doctor.
Evidence required:
Documentation of Illness or Injury: Evidence of illness or accidental injury from a doctor's examination.
Medical Report: Documentation confirming that you have been physically examined by a doctor.
A claim denial letter from your travel insurance will be required.
Doctor’s note or medical certificate confirming the details of the illness or injury, the date it occurred, and that it prevented you from travelling. (Receipt required for your doctor’s note will be applied as a credit towards your booking to the value of up to ZAR 950 or equivalent.)
14. Pre-existing medical condition
Means a physical or mental health condition that you were aware of at the time you made the booking that would not normally prevent you from travelling.
What we do not refund:
Pre-existing Medical Condition: Refunds will not be granted for pre-existing medical conditions, which are physical or mental health conditions that you were aware of at the time you made the booking, and would not normally prevent you from travelling.
What we do not refund:
Where guidelines for your pre-existing medical condition would normally prevent you from travelling.
Evidence required:
Doctor’s note or medical certificate confirming the details of the illness, the date it changed, and that it prevented you from travelling. (Receipt required for your doctor’s note will be applied as a credit towards your booking to the value of up to ZAR 950 or equivalent.) A claim denial letter from your travel insurance will be required.
15. Pregnancy complication
Means a complication of pregnancy you were unaware of at the time you made the booking and which results in you being unable to travel.
What we do not refund:
We do not cover Normal pregnancy.
Evidence required:
Doctor’s note or medical certificate confirming the details of the complication, the date it occurred, and that it prevented you from travelling. (Receipt required for your doctor’s note refund of up to ZAR 950 or equivalent)
A claim denial letter from your travel insurance will be required.
16. Death
Means your death any time prior to your travels or the death of an immediate family member or any person(s) in the group due to travel, up to four (4) weeks prior to travelling.
What we do not refund:
The death of a person not within your immediate family or in the group due to travel.
Evidence required:
A death certificate.
A claim denial letter from your travel insurance will be required.
Specific Reasons where Refunds will Not Be Provided
Refunds are not provided for non-attendance of a booked trip that is directly or indirectly associated with:
- Actual or perceived events such as war, hostilities, civil commotion, imprisonment, repatriation, deportation, exposure to poisonous biological materials, radioactivity, cyber incidents or acts, and state property seizure.
- Failure to comply with any applicable law.
- Bookings originating from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria.
- Situations where travellers are subjected to any sanction, prohibition, or restriction under United Nations resolutions or the trade or economic sanctions, laws, or regulations of the European Union, United Kingdom, or United States of America.
IMPORTANT
Any translation of this document from English is for assistance and information only. In the event of a Refund Application the English language version shall be the basis of settlement.
All aspects of this document are subject to South African law and the jurisdiction of the South African courts.
This is not an insurance policy. A refundable booking is an optional extension to our standard Terms & Conditions, and it provides a refund for certain defined circumstances outlined as part of our Terms and Conditions.
